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Community celebrates opening of the Gathering Place at Sparrow

In the works for years, Sparrow unveiled its dazzling new modern and upscale dining area today during a ceremony and open house.

The Gathering Place at Sparrow features bright open spaces and a wall of glass with a view along Michigan Avenue. It showcases our effort to transform facilities to meet the expectations of our Patients, Visitors, Physicians and Caregivers for quality care in a healing environment. It officially opens to the public, Thursday, July 21.

“This isn’t exactly what you’d expect to find at a hospital cafeteria. We have fresh, new menus featuring healthy and local, quality cuisine and a variety of food stations,” said Laura Fellows, Executive Chef and Interim Director of Sparrow’s Food and Nutrition Services. “You’ll see more made-to-order items and a significant increase in grab-and-go options, too. Eating well helps you feel better.”

Highlights of the Gathering Place at Sparrow include a state-of-the-art artisan pizza oven, sushi and menus items like grilled pork banh mi and vegan chickpea salad as well as a demonstration kitchen to be used for a variety of cooking classes as part of existing nutrition education and other community programs.

The 4,000-square-foot addition, along with 20,000 square feet of renovations, is also helping to transform the Michigan Avenue corridor in downtown Lansing.

“Sparrow has been a cornerstone of the Michigan Avenue corridor for more than 100 years and we are proud of our continued role in the development of the City of Lansing and mid-Michigan,” said Tom Bres, Sparrow Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer. “We also added dozens of new jobs with the creation of the Gathering Place at Sparrow. It’s exciting to do something that has both an economic impact while also improving the experience for our Patients and guests.”

Sparrow has undertaken a significant investment in the region, with more than $285 million in construction and information technology projects over a five-year period, as we continue to transform care, implement best practices, and deliver nationally recognized services.